


Promises and Persuasions

by helsinkibaby



Category: FBI (TV 2018)
Genre: Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:35:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22701076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: At a party, Jubal watches Kristen dance.
Relationships: Kristen Chazal/Jubal Valentine
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36
Collections: 1 Million Words' Weekend Challenge





	Promises and Persuasions

**Author's Note:**

> For the weekend challenge. Prompt used _"It was Saturday night, the moon was bright | Shining down, it's harvest light | Music all around to hear, set the stage and atmosphere." Earth, Wind and Fire/Saturday Nite_

“Hey, man, you’re still here.” 

Jubal stood as OA approached him, shaking the other man’s hand and pulling him into a warm, one-armed hug. “Of course,” he said as they sat down, OA pulling another chair closer to Jubal’s. “I couldn’t leave without talking to the man of the hour, could I?”

OA actually looked embarrassed, running a hand over his chin as he looked around the room. Not quite ballroom sized, it was still a fairly large room in one for New York’s ritziest hotels, opulence screaming from every furnishing. No expense had been spared on the decorations for the night either and as Jubal eyed up OA, he noted that the suit the younger man was wearing was a cut or several above the ones he would usually wear around the office. “I know it’s a bit overkill,” he said, “but Mona’s parents insisted on throwing us a big engagement party. We just didn’t realise it would be more their friends than ours.... apart from my family, I think I know about a dozen people here.” 

Sitting at a table at the edge of the dance floor for the last few minutes, Jubal had had enough time to survey the room, therefore he knew that while it was an exaggeration, it wasn’t much of one. With a party this big to celebrate the engagement, he’d been wondering where they would go when it came to the wedding, but he didn’t think that now was the time to mention that to OA. “They just want to celebrate,” he lied smoothly, like this wasn’t his personal idea of hell. “Nothing wrong with that.” 

“Still, I should have got over to you guys before now.” OA frowned as he looked around the table. “Where’s everyone else? They haven’t gone home, right?” 

Jubal jerked his head in the direction of the dance floor. From his position, he had a perfect view of the FBI crew, while OA had to turn to see them. “Just Isobel,” he said. “Kristen dragged the rest of them out to dance... Emily was a willing accomplice.” Kristen hadn’t been a surprise, but he’d seen a completely different side to their newest field agent. 

OA turned his attention back to Jubal, a knowing smile suddenly on his face. It reminded Jubal a little too late that there was a smile on his own face that shouldn’t really be there as he talked about Kristen. He could tell OA hadn’t missed it either and if he couldn’t, OA’s “And she didn’t work her magic on you?” with an equally knowing lilt to his voice would have clued him in. 

He and Kristen really weren’t fooling anyone anymore it seemed, hadn’t been for quite a while now to be honest, and he found himself suddenly glad that Isobel had gone home. Don’t ask, don’t tell was alive and well in the FBI office and they all seemed to be fine with that. “I don’t dance,” he said honestly and OA only chuckled. 

“Sure,” he said, his grin blinding, his tone indicating that he didn’t believe a word of it. Before he could say anything else though, he saw something over Jubal’s shoulder that made him stand up, his smile shifting slightly. 

“There you are.” Mona came to stand beside him and he dropped a kiss on her lips as he slipped an arm around her waist. “I’ve been looking for you.” She looked down at Jubal then, her face brightening in recognition. “Hey, Jubal. Thanks so much for coming.” 

“Mona, congratulations.” He stood up and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. “I wouldn’t have missed it, it’s a great party.” 

Mona actually rolled her eyes. “It’s completely ridiculous, but what can you do?” She looked up at OA, her left hand going to his chest, the diamond ring that had lived in OA’s desk drawer for the better part of a month winking brightly in the light. “I do think we should consider eloping though.”

OA laughed but Jubal was firmly in agreement with her on that one. “It’s definitely on the table,” was all OA would allow. “You were looking for me?” 

Mona gave him an apologetic look, then turned the same expression on Jubal. “Dad wants you to meet one of his partners. Do you mind?” 

Smile partially turning into a grimace, OA shook his head. “Not at all. Jubal, I’ll be back.” 

Privately Jubal thought he’d believe that when he saw it but he knew better than to say that. Instead, he waved them off, turned his attention back to the dance floor. His team were still right where he’d last seen them, with Kristen, Maggie and Emily laughing and smiling as they moved to the music, Ian making up in enthusiasm what he lacked in rhythm. Stuart, however, seemed to have gone missing in action and as Jubal scanned the dance floor, a hand clapped him on the shoulder from behind and Stuart came around to take the seat OA had just vacated, turning it slightly so that he too could see the dance floor. 

“Why aren’t you out there?” he demanded, raising his beer bottle to his lips and taking a long pull. 

“I don’t dance,” Jubal said again and Stuart shot him a look out of the corner of his eye, raised an eyebrow for good measure. 

“Damn, I should have used that line.” 

Jubal didn’t bother pointing out that when the ladies had ganged up on him, he hadn’t exactly put up much of a fight. Instead he just shrugged and that was when Stuart turned his full attention on him, staring at him like he was trying to work out a puzzle. “So you don’t dance... you don’t drink...” He waggled his beer bottle in illustration, glancing pointedly at Jubal’s half full glass of water. “And you really look like you’re having a great time...” His scepticism was like a living entity. 

Except for the fact that he was completely wrong. “I am having a good time,” Jubal informed him, receiving another raised eyebrow for his trouble. “Seriously.” He shifted his gaze from Stuart to the dance floor, to one person in particular. “See that woman in the red dress?” He happened to know that she had bought it specially for tonight, and chosen it for the specific reason that it hugged her body in ways that were likely to drive him out of his mind. So far, it was working. 

Stuart took another pull of his beer before he spoke. “You mean Kristen?” he asked. “My ex-partner, my friend, the woman who’s like a little sister to me?” Always possessing of a dry sense of humour, that was extra dry. “Yeah, I see her.” 

“She loves to dance.” Jubal didn’t think he was spilling state secrets there. Kristen hadn’t sat down since the music started. As they watched, Ian spun her around into his arms then back out again, her smile wider than Jubal had seen it in months, her laugh reaching all the way across to their table. “And I love to watch her.” He shrugged, again knowing he wasn’t telling the other man anything he didn’t know. So far, Stuart was the only one who had flat out asked him what was going on with him and Kristen and Jubal hadn’t hesitated in telling him the truth, knowing he could trust him. “So there are worse ways to spend my Saturday night.” 

Stuart almost looked pained. “That is getting dangerously close to way too much information,” he said, screwing his eyes shut. “Did I mention that she’s like my sister?” 

Jubal held up hands, laughing. “Sorry, man, you asked.” 

“Yeah, remind me not to do that again,” Stuart groused. 

Before he could say anything else, the music shifted, going from something fast and energetic to slow and lilting. The DJ turned it down momentarily, announcing OA and Mona and the two took to the centre of the floor amid cheers and applause. OA looked nothing short of mortified and used one of his hands to beckon others to join them, which, thankfully for the younger man, they did. 

In a surprising turn of events though, Maggie grabbed Ian by the hand and pulled him into a waltz hold, at the same time as Emily walked off the dance floor and over to Stuart. “Come on, partner,” she said, to his obvious surprise. “Let’s see how those dancing feet are with a waltz.” 

But it was Jubal she glanced down at as she pulled Stuart up, walking off with a smile and a knowing wink. 

Jubal looked across the dance floor to see Kristen standing there, all alone, looking across at him. She met his gaze, raised both hands in an exaggerated shrug and before he could consciously think about it, he was standing and on his way across the dance floor to her. 

“Miss Chazal,” he said, holding out his hand. “May I have this dance?”

She took his hand, giggling as she did so. “I thought you’d never ask.” She paused, narrowing her eyes and affecting a thoughtful expression. “Literally.” 

Jubal laughed at that too, pulling her into his arms. His right hand settled comfortably on the small of her back while his left continued to hold hers, their joined hands coming to rest on his chest, just over his heart. Her hand was high on his back, warm through his shirt and they were probably standing a little too close together but he didn’t care. 

And when he glanced around, saw all their colleagues very obviously _not_ looking at them, identical smirks on all their faces, it didn’t look like anyone else did either. 

A thought occurred to him and he looked down at her. “Was this a set up?” he asked and she threw back her head and laughed in response. 

Set up or not, he’d be set up every day of his life if it meant that he got to hear her laugh like that, see how her face lit up when she did. 

“Oh yeah.” She didn’t even try to deny it. “Maggie asked me why you weren’t dancing with me... apparently, she guessed about us a few weeks ago.” Maggie and everyone else, Jubal guessed. “I told her you didn’t dance, she said to leave it to her... I guess this is what she meant.” She tilted her head, still smiling but her eyes showed a little doubt. “Do you mind?” 

Feeling brave, or at least secure in the fact that they were surrounded by friends, he brought their joined hands to his lips, brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “I don’t dance,” he reminded her. “But I guess I can make an exception for you.” 

Kristen looked immensely pleased with herself. “Be still my heart.” 

Jubal narrowed his eyes, pretending to consider her words. “Nah,” he said after a moment, dropping his head slightly so that his lips were close to her ear, their joined hands returning to his heart. “I kinda like making your heart race.” 

She shivered at the words, gooseflesh appearing on her skin. 

Yeah. He was never going to get bored with that. 

And when she stared up at him, her lower lip caught between her teeth to hide her smile... well, he’d never get tired of that look either. “Promises, promises,” she murmured and if he tightened his arm around her waist, pulled her a little closer, she didn’t complain. 

“You know, I’d forgotten how good you look when you’re dancing,” he told her after a moment and her eyes brightened. 

“You’ll have to come out with me more often.” Which, like this party, would be his idea of hell, which is why these occasions were so rare. And yeah, okay, wonderful because Kristen’s face lit up with joy was a wonderful thing. She looked around again. “Or at least convince OA to throw some more parties.” 

From the dry tone of her voice, she knew exactly how likely that was. “Mona just mentioned Vegas for the wedding,” he told her. “I think she’s worried that after this, it’s going to approach royal wedding status.” 

Another look around the room had her nodding, and he could practically see her analyst’s brain calculating. “Probably accurate,” she decided. She turned her head, smiled when she saw OA and Mona staring into one another’s eyes, oblivious to the room around them. “I’ve never seen OA so happy.” 

“It’s a happy time.” Jubal could remember those early days with Samantha, the rush of exhilaration when he saw her, the excitement of buying a ring, the joy of their family and friends. It was easy to forget that it hadn't all been like it was when it ended, tears and recriminations and hurt on both sides. 

He shook his head lightly, returning his mind to the present, and the woman in his arms. The woman who was looking up at him with a tilted head and a slightly quizzical expression. “Would you do it again?” The words surprise him and, if the sudden flare of her eyes is anything to go by, her too. “I didn’t mean-”

“Are you proposing?” He was teasing her and she knew it, smiling as she ran her tongue over her lips and looking down. He decided to push his luck a little, ran his free hand up and down her back. Not too low though - he wasn’t completely insane. “I used to say no... to be honest, I never thought I’d find someone. But now...” He shrugged as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. “I think I could be persuaded.” He kept his voice light, his smile small. 

She didn’t. Her smile could have lit up the room and she didn’t need to say that she felt the same way. Her smile said it all, her hand tightening in his an additional confirmation. 

He didn’t see the smile for long though, not when she leaned against him, resting his cheek against his chest. As they swayed to the music, though, Jubal found himself thinking that they should do this more often - it wasn’t that bad after all.


End file.
